Crash results in fatality

Accident is under investigation

On April 15 at approximately 4:20 p.m., the Arenac County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a personal injury accident on US-23 near Sagatoo Road.

According to Arenac County Undersheriff, Don McIntyre, the driver of the vehicle was Harold Gatza, 80, of AuGres.

McIntyre says Gatza was traveling northbound when the vehicle he was driving crossed the centerline and both southbound lanes, left the roadway and struck a cement culvert. He was transported by Arenac County Mobile Medical Response to St. Mary’s of Michigan Standish Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

The accident is still under investigation.

"An autopsy's being done," McIntyre said. "That should give us some more answers, if it (cause for accident) was medical or not."

He added that the Standish Area Fire Authority and the Michigan State Police Accident Reconstruction Team assisted at the scene of the crash.